timms



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

J. TIMMS. GAR GGUPLING.

Patented Apr. l14, 1891.A

me Noms refus co., muro-wma., wnsumcmu, n. c1

2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. T11/IMS.

CAR GOUPLING.

(No Model.)

PatentedrApr. 14,1891.

will

ZL-Ma Zar UNrTnD STATES 1 JAMES TIMMS, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TOTHE TIMMS AU'LUMATIO OAR OOUPLER COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.y

CAR-COUPLING.

PEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 450,539, dated April 14,1891.

Application filed December 26, 1890. Serial No. 375,834.. (No model.) I

To @ZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES TIMMs, of Columbus, in the county of Franklinand State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful ImprovementsinAutomatic I-Iook Oar-Couplers; and I do hereby delare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and ro usethe same.

My invention relates to improvements in automatic hook car-couplers; andit consists in certain features of construction and in combination ofparts hereinafter described,

and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l isv a plan, a portion of thedraw-head being broken away to show the internal construction. Fig. 2 isa side elevation. Fig. 3 is an zo end elevation. Fig. 4 is a view inperspective showing the coupler in position open. Fig. 5 is a view inperspective, a portion of the guard-arm being broken away to show theinternal construction. Fig. 6 is a view in perspective showing theknuckle detached. Fig. 7 is aview in perspective of the lockingblockdetached.

A represents the draw-bar; B, the drawhead; C, the guard-arm of thedraw-head, 3o and D the knuckle, the latter operating in the chamber ofthe draw-head, to which latter the knuckle is pivotally secured by meansof pin B. The guard-arm is also chambered to accommodate the tiltinggravity locking- 3 5 block E, known as the .lock, the latter chambercommunicating with the chamber of the draw-head, whereby the locking-armD of theknuckle,known lusuallyas the knuckletongue,may swing into andout of the chamber of the guard-arm in coupling and uncoupling.

The lock E (shown more clearly in Fig. 7)

has a broad end presenting toward the center of the draw-head, and fromthence the lock tapers off and is curved somewhat downward, terminatingin a rounded end e. The latter serves as a pivotal bearing for the lock,and being stepped or seated in a corresponding depression in the lowerwall of the guard 5o arm the lock is thereby retained in positionwithout other fastening. For tilting thelock that is to say, in couplingthe cars.

in a vertical plane the lock is provided with link F, the latterextending out through a` suitable hole in the end wall of the guardarm,the outer end of the link having usually an eyef, that may serve as ahandle, or may serve in attaching other links, rods, chains, cables,(not shown,) that may lead, for instance, tothe side of the car, orthrough the medium, for instance, of suitable bell-crank 6o lever orlevers may lead to the top of the car,

or to any point where it may be desired. The locking arm or tongue D hasa head D2, elongated laterallythatis to say, elongated in the directionof its throw, and to such an extent that this head is never withdrawnfrom under the lock in opening the knuckle, as in uncoupling'. lVhen theknuckle is closed, as

in coupling, the lock falls by gravity in front of the tongue or thehead thereof, and in all 7b other operative positions of the knuckle thelock simply rides on head D2, and the slight friction thus caused isabout all the resistalice encountered in closing the knuckle- As a childcan easily close the knuckle, it follows that cars for coupling purposesneed not be brought together with violence, and if the cars approacheach other so closely that the knuckle is closed by contact with theknuckle 8o of an opposing draw-bar the locking of the knuckle willthereby accrue with certainty. Thelock when depressed overlapstheknuckletongue and head so far as to furnish ample wearing-surface,and the locking accrues so far from the fulcrum of the knuckle that anywearing of these parts will not materially affect the closed or lockedposition of the knuckle. In the closed position of vthe knuckle the facecl2 of head D2 abuts the 9o outer wall of the guard-arm or casing, andthereby constitutes the primary stop for the knuckle; but it' theknuckle be closed with great violence, and such an occurrence, moreespecially in coupling freightcars, is likely 9 5 to be the rule rather'than the exception, the wall of the guard-arm might and probably wouldbe broken unless the parts were constructed heavier than is desirable.To reinedy this difficulty I provide a second stop to l10o co-operatewith the primary stop already mentioned, the secondary stop beinglocated and constructed as shown, to Wit: stop a is usually castintegral with the draw-head, and is preferably of theT-shaped varietyshowrnso that the head thereof will present a broad surface to engagethe opposing tongue ot" the knuckle. i Besides the advantage ot' thusdistributing the force of the blow to different parts of the casing,other advantages accrue, to Wit: vVith two stops located some distanceapart less lateral strain is had on pin B. With the construction shownit is evident that any pulling strain on the couplers tends to make theopposing knuckles hug each other more closely, and any slack that mayaccrue at the lock or at the fulcrum of the knuckle does not tend tocrowd the knuckle laterally or toward the guard-arm, and hence there isno tendency in such cases for the knuckle to bind on the guard-arm, asWould be the case if the lock were located along the draft-line, inwhich latter case the tendency of the knuckle would be to crowd towardthe guardy arm.

It Will be observed that the locking device is entirely closed from theWeather, so that snow or ice cannot interfere with its operation. Byreason of the strength of the parts and the simple character ot' thelock it would seem impossible for the lock to be broken, disarranged, orbecome inoperative i' rom any cause.

What I claim isl 1. Acar-coupler et theclassindcated,com prsing in themain draw-bar, head, and guardarm, a knuckle, and a co-operating tiltingi gravity-lock pivotally supported on its lower end, the latter beinglocated in the chamber of the guard-arm in position to ride on theopposing member of the knuckle in shifting the latter and in positionfor falling in front of such member when the knuckle is in positionclosed, substantially as set forth.

2. A car-coupler of the class indicated and having a knuckle providedwith a tongue, such tongue having a head elongated in the direction ofits throw, of atilting gravity-lock pivotally supported on its lowerextremity and located in the chamber ofthe guard-arm in position t0 rideon such head when the knuckle is unlocked and in position for falling infront of such head, and thereby locking the knuckle in its closedposition, substantially as set forth.

3. In a car-coupler of the class indicated, the combination, with aknuckle and tongue, the knuckle in closing being prim arily stoppedbythe engagementI of the tongue with the casing, of a second stopintegral or connected with the casing and having preferably a T- headfor engaging the knuckle-tongue, and thereby relieving in a measure theprimary stop, substantially as set forth.

ln testimony whereof I sign this specification, in the presence of twoWitnesses, this 21st day of October, 1800.

JAMES TIMMS.

Witnesses:

zlDAViD T. RAMSEY,

. A. DILL.

